Course Objectives

• Concepts of documents and their examination.
• Understanding of forgery and their detection.
• Identification of fraud and writings and examination of financial documents.

Learning Outcomes

• After completion of course, student will be able to:
• Understand writing forgery and documents forgery.
• Examine questioned documents and writings.
• Understand frauds, money laundering and financial reports.

Course Syllabus

UNIT-I

Basics of handwriting identification & individuality of handwriting, natural variations, process of comparison, types of documents-genuine and forged documents, holographic documents, Care and Handling of Document Exhibits, Forgeries & its types, detection of forgeries in handwriting, signatures and related case studies, basic tools needed for forensic documents examination and their significance.

UNIT-II

Disguised writing and anonymous letters- Identification of writer Examination of alterations- erased writing, overwritings, additions, substitutions and obliterations Examination, preservation and decipherment of secret writing, Indented writings and charred writings, Examination of seal and other mechanical impressions

Built up documents, determination of sequence of strokes, physical matching of documents

UNIT-III

Examination of Photostat (Xerox) copies, carbon copies, fax message, typewritings, printed matter: letterpress printing, intaglio printing, offset printing, screen printing & its related concepts, types of printing of security documents, examination of counterfeit currency notes, passports, visa, credit cards, debit cards, pan card, license, stamp papers, legal deeds, postal stamps, etc, Related Case Studies.

UNIT-IV

Determination of age of document and writings

Types of computer printers and their working: dot-matrix, daisywheel, line printers, ink-jet, thermal jet and laser printers, Examination of Computer printouts Forensic linguistics and stylistics, its importance in writer identification Examination of e-documents and digital signatures

Opinion- Reporting to the court juxtaposed charts - evidence in the court- cross examination, Related Case Studies

UNIT-V

Introduction to Forensic accounting, Money laundering, Fraud deterrence, Types of money laundering, understanding business information & financial reporting system accounting & auditing standards & procedures, evidence gathering & investigative techniques, litigation processes, Examination of financial documents

Reference Books:

Ordway Hilton; Scientific Examination of Questioned Documents, Rev ED, Elsevier, NY (1982)

Albert S. Osborn; Questioned Documents, 2nd Ed., Universal Law Pub., Delhi (1998)

Albert S Osborn; The Problem of Proof, 2nd Ed., Universal Law Pub. Delhi (1998)

Charles C. Thomas; I.S.Q.D. Identification System for Questioned Documents, Billy Prior Bates Springfield, Illinois, USA (1971)

Wilson R. Harrison; Suspect Documents Their Scientific Examination, Universal Law Pub. Delhi Indian Reprint (2001)

Hard less H.R; Disputed Documents, Handwriting and Thumbs – Print Identification, profusely illustrated, Law Book, Allahabad (1988)

Morris Ron N; Forensic Handwriting Identification, Acad Press, London (2001)

Kurtz Sheila; Grapholypes a new Plant on Handwriting Analysis, Crown Pub. Inc., USA (1983)

Lerinson Jay; Questioned Documents, Acad Press, London (2001)

Mcmenamin, Gerald R; Forensic Linguistics- Advances in Forensic Stylistics, CRC Press, Washington, D.C. (2002)

Ellen David; Questioned Documents- Scientific Examination, Taylor & Francis, Washington (1997)

Roy A Huber, A.M. Headrick; Handwriting Identification- Facts and Fundamental, CRC Press(1999)

Session Plan

Session 1

Basics of handwriting identification & individuality of handwriting, natural variations, process of comparison,

Document Examination

Session 2

types of documents-genuine and forged documents, holographic documents, Care and Handling of Document Exhibits,

Definition of documents and questioned documents.

Session 3

Forgeries & its types

forgeries

Session 4

detection of forgeries in handwriting, signatures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj6GMS9Wj28

Session 5

basic tools needed for forensic documents examination and their significance.

Basic tools for forensic documents examination

Session 6

Disguised writing and anonymous letters- Identification of writer

Disguised Handwriting

Session 7

Examination of alterations- erased writing, overwritings, additions, substitutions and obliterations Examination

Preliminary examination

Session 8

preservation and decipherment of secret writing

SECRET WRITINGS

Session 9

Indented writings

Session 10

charred writings

Charred-Documents

Session 11

Examination of seal and other mechanical impressions

Session 12

Built up documents

Session 13

determination of sequence of strokes

Session 14

physical matching of documents

physical matching

Session 15

Examination of Photostat (Xerox) copies, carbon copies, fax message,

Session 16

typewritings

Session 17

printed matter: letterpress printing, intaglio printing, offset printing, screen printing & its related concepts

Session 18

types of printing of security documents, examination of counterfeit currency notes, passports, visa, credit cards, debit cards, pan card, license, stamp papers, legal deeds, postal stamps, etc, Related Case Studies.

Security-Documents (1)

Session 19

Determination of age of document and writings

Age of document

Case Studies

Case Studies